Drop bottom mine car



Sept. 14, 1937. w. FJDIETRICHSON DROP BOTT-OM MINE CAR Filed July 17, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIII SePt- 14, 1937. w. F. DIETRlcHsoN DROP BOTTOM MINE CAR Filed July 17, 1936 4 .Sheets-Sheet 2 l 1 INVENTOIR i Wzl/zam fzei'rzcsoz BY u y ATTORNEY w SePt- 14, 1937. w. F. Du-:TRlcHsoN 2,092,801

DROP BOTTOM MINE CAR Filed July 17, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY W. F. DIETRICHSON Filed July 17, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE DROP BOTTOM MINE CAR Application July 17, 1936, Serial No. 91,035

11 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to mine cars of the dropbottom type in general and in particular to automatic drop bottom cars wherein the transversely hung doors move longitudinally of the car.

Previous cars having the free edge of one door resting on the hinge edge of the following door have been constructed, but in these cars the hinge rod or a projecting portion of the door plate formed an eccentric which permitted only a small bearing area between doors and any distortion of the doors was liable to cause a premature discharge of the lading. It is an object, therefore, of this invention to provide a door arrangement such that the doors may have a large amount of overlap when in the closed position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a drop bottom car having doors supported entirely by rugged, laterally movable hinge rods.

A further object oi the invention is the provision of an improved traversablehinge rod support and protecting housing.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved traversable hinge rod support which is protected from the lading at all times.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side View of approximately onehalf of the car, parts being broken away to more fully disclose the latch and hinge members;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the remaining portion of the car shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the car;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing more clearly the traversable hinge rod support;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the portion of the car shown in Fig. 4 with parts in section to disclose the hinge rod support;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; n

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the relation of the protecting housing and hinge rod supportcastings, the door being shown in fully open position; o

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a slightly modified form of construction;

Fig. 9' is a plan View partly in section of the modied form shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line Ill-I Il of Fig. 9, and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 10 but showing a further modification. Y

Referring now to the 'drawings in detail, it is seen that the car shown is of conventional contour and design with the exception of the door mounting and operation. In theV car shown'the bulb angle side sills 2 are mounted upon axles 4 by means of bearings 6 and these sills are joined at their ends by channel end sills 8.v The end sills have attached thereto any approved type of draw head I0 and bumper I2, the details of which need not be described since they form no part of the present invention. End walls I4 are attached to the end sills and to the flare side walls IE carried by the bulb angle sidev sills. The side walls have hoods I8 pressed therein to accommodate the upper portions Vof the car supporting wheels 20 mounted upon the axles as is customary. Suitable axle deflectors 22 extend between the inner faces of the side sills to which they are welded as at W. Side Ywall braces 24 stiffen the side walls, while the rear end wall is provided with a latch mechanism L -formed in part of a hook 26 which engages the rear orfree portion 28 of the rear door 30.

The car bottom is preferably formed of three doors, namely, the rear door 30, intermediate door 32 and front door 34, the latter ofvwhich is pivoted by hinge members 36 to the front end sill. The front edges of the rear and intermediate doors are hinged to the car in the improved manner now to be described with special reference to Figs. 1-7 inclusive.

The forward edge of the rear and intermediate doors is rolled over as at 38 to non-rotatably embrace hinge rod 4I] upon the ends of which are rigidly secured'the roller member 4I having teeth 42 adapted to inter-engage with the spaced bars 43, 44 and 45. The spaced bars are integral with the'sill engaging flanges 46 and 48, `the latter of which is also joined to the` bars by extensions 49. The inner ends of the bars are joined by wall 50 thus forming an extremely strong traversable hinge rod support which is securely fastened to the bulb angle flange and web by rivets or other means 52. In order to retain the 'door in position as well as to exclude -lading a cast housing is provided having a sill securing flange 54 from which extends ledge 55 braced by gussets 56. The ledge terminates in a downwardly directed flange 58, a portion of which is cut away to straddle the pivot support and permit the traversing movement of the hinge rod. It is thus seen that it is almost impossible for lading to get upon the supporting bars of the traversable support, particularly since the door flange 59 is turned upwardly and will cover the opening or cut out portion inthe hood member.

Referring now in particular to Figs. 8-10 inclusive in which a slight modification has been disclosed and using wherever possible the same numerals as were used in connection with Figs. 1-7 inclusive. 'Ihe door retaining and protecting housing has been enlarged in order to permit a plate 60 to be moved therein by theY door. 6U is carried upon collar 62 mounted upon the hinge rod and is of such a size as to overlap the downwardly directed anger58 and completely cover the opening or cut-out portion at all times, whether the door be closed or open.

In Fig. 1l the construction shown in Figs. 8-10 is modied in that the roller member has been formed with a circular portion 64 adapted to roll upon the wall and thus assist to a major extent the bars in the Vsupport of the' doors and lading.

In Yeach of these modifications it is seen that the free edge 66 of each preceding door rests upon the rear edge of the succeeding door directly abovethe hinge rod and that the area ofv contact between the doors is of a substantial amount and located approximately at right angles to the direction of swinging movement of the door.Y Attention is also directed to the fact that the bar 43 which must support the load during the Vtransporting period is considerably'heavier than the other bars which need support only the door during its traverse of the hinge support.

Theoperation of the doors is as follows, and assuming the doors to be in the closed position. Upon release of the hook 26 by any suitable .means, the door 3D will drop swinging about its axis causing the toothed roller to leave bar 43 and successively engage the bars 44 and 45. The hinge rod is'thus made to Vtraverse the hinge rod support and in doing lso it will move rearwardly -from beneath the edge 66`of the preceding door 32 permitting it to drop and in the manner just described this door will release the Ydoor 34. In the closing the movement is simply reversed and the door 34 is raised and held raised until the door 32 has been raised and shifted` beneath the edge. 66 of door 34. Y

load is carried by the shoulder 64 rolling onthe wall 50 and not by the bars directly.

It is obvious that even though ladingshouldsift into -the housing, it can immediately escape be- `tween the bars of the traversable hinge support without causingany damage to the bars or the toothed roller. The traversable hinge support may be properly considered'as an open toothed rack to distinguish fromrthe usual type of rack in whichV the bases of the teeth are joined together.

While the'door hinging means has been described more or less in detail, it is obvious that various modifications will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art and all such modifications are contemplated as `fall Withinv the scope of the following claims.

Plate What is Vclaimed is: j

l. In a mine car for the transport of lading, sills, axles and axle bearings supporting the sills, a dumping door, a hinge rod for said door, supporting brackets for said hinge rod secured to the sills independently of the axle bearings, interengaging means on said hinge rod and brackets for bodily shifting the. door during the opening thereof, a second dumping door hinged to the car and having the free edge thereof normally resting directly upon said first named door above the hinge rod and above the horizontalplane through the lower portion of the axles, said second named door being free to open after the bodily shifting of the first named door.

2.V In a mine car for the transport of lading, sills, axles and axle bearings supporting the sills, a dumping door, a hinge rod for said door,

. brackets secured to the sills adjacent an axle for being free to open after the bodily shifting of the first named door.

3. Ina mine car for the transport of lading,

sills, axles andaxleY bearings supporting the sills, Y

a dumping door,'a traversing hinge rod for said door, traversable supporting brackets secured to the sills adjacent an axle for supporting said hinge rod, interengaging means on said hinge rod and brackets for bodily shifting the door during the opening thereof, a second dumping door hinged to the car'and having the free edge thereof supported solely lby said hinge rod in substantial horizontal alignment with the axles, said second named door being yfree to open after the bodily shifting of the rst named door.

4. 'Inl a mine car for the transport of lading, i'

sills, axles and axle bearings supporting the sills, a dumping door, a traversing hinge rod for said door, traversable supporting brackets secured to the sills for supporting said hinge rodsubstantial- A ly in horizontal alignment with the axles, interengaging means on said hinge rod andv brackets for bodily shifting the door during the opening thereof, a housing protecting said interengaging means from the lading, and a second dumping door hinged to the Vcar and having thefree edge thereof supported solely'by said hinge rod, Said second named door being free to open after th Vbodily shifting Yof the rst named door.

5. A tr-aversable hinge rod supporting bracket for mine cars having flanged side sills comprising, a vertical ange for attachment to the sill web, a horizontally disposed flange for attachment to the sill flange, bars projecting laterally inward fromsaid vertical ange for Vsupporting a hinge l.

rod, continuations ofsaid bars being joined to said horizontally disposed flange for bracing the bracket flanges.

6. A"Y door hinge assembly for mine cars adapted to carry lading comprising a traversable hinge rod supporting bracket h-aving substantially vvertical and horizontal flanges for attachment to the car sills, bars projecting laterally inward from Asaid vertical ange for supporting Va hinge rod,

a Wall joining the inner edges of said bars, and

a hinge rod having projections interengaging with said bars between said wall and vertical flange to cause shifting of said rod during rotation thereof.

'7 A door hinge assembly for mine cars .adapted to carry lading comprising, a traversable hinge rod supporting bracket having substantially vertical and horizontal flanges for attachment to the car sills, bars projecting laterally inward from said vertical flange for supporting a hinge rod, a wall joining the inner edges of said bars, and a hinge rod having projections interengaging with said bars between said wall and vertical flange to cause shifting of said rod during rotation thereof, and a housing secured to the sills and protecting said bars and hinge rod projections from the lading.

8. A door hinge assembly for mine cars adapted to carry lading comprising, a traversable hinge rod supporting bracket having substantially vertical and horizontal flanges for attachment to the car sills, bars projecting laterally inward from said vertical flange for supporting a hinge rod, a hinge rod having projections interengaging with said bars to cause shifting of said rod during rotation thereof, and a housing secured to the sills and protecting said bars and hinge rod projections from the lading, said housing being formed with a slot through which the rod projects thereby permitting shifting of the hinge rod.

9. A door hinge assembly for mine cars adapted to carry lading comprising, a traversable hinge rod supporting bracket having substantially vertical and horizontal flanges for attachment to the car sills, bars projecting laterally inward from said vertical flange for supporting a hinge rod, a hinge rod having projections interengaging with said bars to cause shifting of said rod during rotation thereof, a housing secured to the sills hinge rod and a slideplate carried by Said hinge rod adapted to maintain the slot closed to prevent entrance of lading.

10. A door hinge assembly for mine cars adapted to carry lading comprising, a traversable hinge rod supporting bracket having substantially vertical and horizont-al flanges for attachment to the car sills, bars projecting laterally in- Ward from said vertical flange for supporting a hinge rod, a hinge rod having projections interengaging with said bars to cause shifting of said rod during rotation thereof, and a housingy secured to the sills and protecting said bars and hinge rod projections from the lading and said housing being formed with a slot permitting shifting of the hinge rod, and a slide plate carried by said hinge rod adapted to maintain the slot closed, said slide plate being of sufficient length to maintain the slot closed at all times to prevent entrance of lading.-

11. A door hinge assembly for mine cars adapted to carry lading comprising, traversable hinge rod supporting brackets secured to the car sills, bars formed on said brackets and projecting laterally inward therefrom to support a hinge rod, a hinge rod having projections on its ends interengaging with said bars to cause shifting of said rod during rotation thereof, and housings secured to the sills and protecting said bars and hinge rod projections from the lading, each of said brackets being provided with a wall joiningl WILLIAM' DIETRICHSON. Y 

